Game Of Thrones Season 8: Reviews, Easter Eggs, Lore Explainers, And Everything You Need To Know

The final season of Game of Thrones is upon us, and it’s wrapping up plot threads and offing characters left and right. Season 8 is only six episodes, but it has a lot of heavy lifting to do in acting as the culmination of everything that’s happened in the show up to now. We’re halfway through Season 8, we’ve seen the Battle of Winterfell, and there’s still a lot of ground to cover.

We know it’s a big undertaking to remember everything that has happened in Game of Thrones while readying to tune in each Sunday. There are any number of theories, callbacks, Easter eggs, and lore dives to keep in mind for each episode. That’s why we’ve got a massive rundown of all our Game of Thrones coverage–everything you need to know about each episode, what might be coming down the pike, and what’s important that has come before.

Read on for a mess of links bringing you everything you might want to know about Game of Thrones Season 8. We’ve arranged our coverage by episode, but keep in mind: If you’re not caught up, later stories are going to include spoilers!

Everything You Need To Know Right Now

First and foremost, here’s everything you should remember from past seasons, and where all the characters are at the start of the season. If you need a little backstory refresher, read up about Daenerys’s father, the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, and what his whole deal was.

We also have a complete rundown of who’s still alive through the show’s latest episode, and a running list of all the deaths in Season 8–but these take into account all the episodes of Season 8, so if you’re not caught up, beware of spoilers.

Meanwhile, if you’re thinking about what happens after Game of Thrones, here’s the latest on the show’s first spin-off. It’s also worth noting that a second one has been canceled.

Episode 4

The halfway point of the season means the Battle of Winterfell is behind us, but there’s still a lot going on. Check out these photos from HBO to give you a look at the next episode, and watch a teaser trailer for the upcoming episode. You might also want a refresher on a plot point set up at the start of the season: That meaningful crossbow that Qyburn gave to Bronn, with orders to use it on Tyrion and Jaime. There’s also an interesting theory about Cersei’s pregnancy. And don’t forget about Cleganebowl, the theorized showdown between the Hound and the Mountain.

Episode 3: “The Long Night”

The dead brought the battle to the realms of men in Episode 3, “The Long Night,” Game of Thrones’ longest and most-watched episode ever. Read our review of the episode, which Senior Entertainment Editor Mike Rougeau found to be disappointing, and watch Lucy, Ryan, Dave, and Tamoor’s Episode 3 breakdown video.

And here are all the Easter eggs and references you might have missed in the episode, plus 10 new theories about the show after “The Long Night.”

You might be wondering what happened to Jon Snow’s direwolf, Ghost, and his dragon, Rhaegal. Both were part of the battle, but both disappeared before the end. We can also give you some insight into who the Night King was and what his goals were.

You can also get a refresher on what Melisandre told Arya all the way back in Season 3, an explainer of what the battle plan actually, uh, was, and a look at what Gendry made for Arya. And there was a cameo in the episode you might have missed.

There were a lot of discussions flying around Episode 3 as well. Read Mike Rougeau’s take on why the deaths in the episode left him cold, and an explanation of why calling Arya Stark a Mary Sue is the dumbest Game of Thrones opinion on the internet.

Episode 2: “A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms”

The night before the Battle of Winterfell saw a number of big moments between characters at Winterfell as everyone prepared to die. It was also full of callbacks: Check out a rundown of all the episode’s Easter eggs, read our review, and watch our full and lengthy video breakdown of the episode.

The character moments were many and meaningful. Arya Stark and Gendry fulfilled a fan ship that had been simmering for years, and Brienne of Tarth made Westerosi history. The episode also included a deep cut from the books in the form of the song “Jenny of Oldstones,” sung by Podrick Payne–you’ll want to learn more about that one. And we saw the sneaky return of Ghost the direwolf.

You can also read about the fan theories that developed out of Episode 2, to see how they track with what took place in Episode 3, and watch a behind-the-scenes feature about “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” from the show’s creators.

Episode 1: “Winterfell”

The start of Game of Thrones Season 8 was all setup for the coming battles, both against the Night King and, eventually, for the Iron Throne. Read our review of the premiere, catch up on the list of Easter eggs hidden within it, and watch our big video breakdown. “Winterfell” is also full of visual references with Game of Thrones’ very first episode, so check out this list of all the callbacks and parallels.

You should also read about why Jon Snow riding the dragon Rhaegal is a big deal, prophecy-wise, and find out what happened to Ed Sheeran’s character in Season 7. There are also all the theories that the first episode of the season generated, many of which have since been dashed.